Russia, 1750-1914

Political: Kriz Villapando

• 1480 - Ivan III declare Russia free of Mongol Rule → He + later, Ivan IV (grandson) = establish absolute rule in Russia → Ivan IV = Ivan the Terrible, tsar, ruled under reign of terror → death of Ivan IV - feudal lords battled over who should rule empire → 1613 - Michael Romanov elected tsar → Romanov Dynasty adds stability to empire → Peter the Great (ruled 1682-1725) came to power - convinced needed to westernize Russia: men shave beards, women in western fashion → then Catherine the Great, tsarina (ruled 1762-1796) = open with reforms → Reforming Tsars = sought to strengthen Russia by remodeling along western European lines→ Peter and Catherine positioned Russia for engagement with rest of world, particularly Western → w/ French Rev., Catherine fear change = rebellion so limited western Euro. influence and reform program = abandoned → nineteenth-century tsars determined to preserve Russia's status as great land power so embarked on reform (faced with challenges on foreign and domestic fronts *agrarian societies = mil. weaker than industrializing lands) → Crimean War - (maintained tradition of conquest and expansion b/c respected and feared military power) - but, military defeat so tsarist autocracy = reevaluate Russion social order and undertake extensive restructuring program → Tsar Alexander II (reigned 1855-1881) - emancipation of serfs → gov. sought to balance interests of lords and serfs → Gov. create zemstvos/legal reform/revision of judiciary system → repression and revolution: intelligentsia, terrorism (Land and Freedom Party, Nicholas II, Russo-Japanese war) - forced gov. to make concessions (Duma)

Economic: Kriz Villapando

• By late eighteenth century Russia = different position than beginning of century - expansions lead to: sea access w/ Baltic/Black seas, additional resources (although strained labor sources) → Nineteenth century = industrialization → Count Sergei Witte and policies to stimulate economic development - Trans-Siberian railway/remodel of state bank/encouragement of savings banks → attention more towards industry as opposed to agriculture due to westernized economy

Religious

Social

Intellectual:

• In Russia, the Enlightenment only reached those of a privileged intellectual elite
• staring with Peter, schooling moved into secular education. Catherine continued this and also expanded it.
• Catherine supported less technology and more philosophy, and so her subjcts followed

(Technology):

• influence from the west helped gather new sciences and other knowledge
• farming methods became dependent upon the labor of unfree surfs
• when tsar Peter ruled, he wanted more technology on sgipbuilding and navigation skills

Near Geographic:

• Russia went into a period of great eastern expansion to a point where Russia was growing an estimated 50 per. sq. mi. a day
• Russia gained Alaska, Manchuria, Ukraine, land from the Ottomans, and much more
• Russia become the largest country